


But a Whimper

by Lafeae



Series: Puppyshipping [5]
Category: Yu-Gi-Oh!
Genre: Family Drama, M/M, Trust Issues, relationship troubles
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-19
Updated: 2018-06-19
Packaged: 2019-05-25 09:36:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,389
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14974364
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lafeae/pseuds/Lafeae
Summary: Joey oversteps his bounds when watching over Mokuba, and finds out the hard way just how important he is in the grand scheme of the family....and just how fragile his not-boyfriend’s trust really is.





	But a Whimper

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by mimi, who commented on my last Puppyshipping story. Thank you for inspiring the muse. And to writerjesus, who’s D and D fic ‘Chill Touch’ made me think of the whole D n D frame of mind.

The Thursday night D and D sessions had been where Mokuba concocted the idea of his brother and Joey going out on a date. It first had been mentioned as an observation from Tristan, and eventually made into a terrible joke, when he pointed out the lack of personal space between Joey and Kaiba in the Turtle Game Shop’s parking lot.

The argument had become a weekly routine, ever since Mokuba joined the campaign, to have the boy stay later than 10 PM. At first, it was just a light nudging to try and convince Kaiba otherwise, all voices involved. Afterwards, it was only Joey, the loudest voice and the strongest opposition, even when Mokuba urged him otherwise.

“There’s no way you’ll convince him, Joey, seriously,” Mokuba said. “Stop wasting your breath.”

“Oh, I’ll convince’m one day,” Joey said. “Jus’ you watch me. If I can budge’m a minute, I’ll budge’m an hour.”

Mokuba just shook his head, even though he believed the man. Every week, when the metallic-blue Chiron pulled up, he had followed Joey out to the parking lot. And every week, he saw how Joey would lean in, press close, sometimes touch Kaiba only to be flicked away.

On cue, when Joey’s fists would clench or Kaiba’s stance would widen, Mokuba emerged to take his brother’s hand and quell the feud. He flashed apologetic eyes to Joey, watching the blond grumble and walk back inside.

When the began dating (“it ain’t dating” Joey protested), Mokuba saw an odd dynamic shift. Handing over control wasn’t in his brother’s repertoire, and ‘giving up’ weren’t words that Joey knew. But as the routine argument continued, Mokuba noticed that his brother wasn’t as passive as in the past. Kaiba gave Joey more attention than before. His eyes were wider. He spoke more.

One week, amidst the argument, Mokuba emerged in his usual fashion to be able to hear Joey ask:

“What if it was at your all’s place, huh?”

A pause. Joey may not have seen it to exploit, but Mokuba had. “I don’t know how many more ways I can phrase ‘I will not be changing my mind’,” Kaiba said, arms crossed.

Mokuba knew he had to strike. “What if it was at our house, nii-sama?”

“Mokuba...”

“I mean, think about it. This way, I’d already be home. You don’t have to worry about picking me up. And there’s people there, so I’m supervised. I have Joey,” he said, knocking his head to Joey. Kaiba seemed to regard Joey in a critical, but considering, way as he looked his not-boyfriend head to toe while the blond smiled ear-to-ear.

“Yeah, I can watch the kid for ya. Put him t’ bed and everythin’. You can do whatever it is ya do when he’s with us,” Joey said. He side-eyes Mokuba who nodded in agreement. Excitement beamed over their faces.

“Joseph...”

“His bedtime’s gotta be eleven right? Since you pick him up at ten? So we’d have more time to play that way. I would shut up. Really, I would be outta your hair ‘bout this. Promise.”

Joey poised a hand out, prepared to make a deal with his not-boyfriend. And Kaiba regarded it with the same degree he may have an alien, head cocked to the side. A bit of mirthful laughter. Joey’s face remained firm and unmoved.

“You’re serious about this,” Kaiba said as his arms fell to his sides. He didn’t dare look at the big eyes Mokuba was giving him. “You want to negotiate this with me? You are in way over your head, Joseph. I can bury you in clauses.”

“Go for it,” Joey challenged. Kaiba’s eyes glinted, and Joey was sure he saw a smile.

“You will leave the house in the same state that you found it.”

“A’right.”

“You will arrive no earlier than five PM.”

“‘Kay.”

“You will keep the noise to a minimum when I am home.”

“Please, like you’d be there.”

“You will in no way try to convince me to join you if I’m present.”

“Wouldn’t wantcha anyways.”

“When the need demands it, you will relocate back here without question,” Kaiba said.

Joey sighed and nodded. “Fair.”

Mokuba kept his hands tight at his chest, folded tight around his locket in a prayer while looking up at his brother. Kaiba was having too much fun with this, and he suspected it could have gone on all night, or as long as it took for Joey to be defeated.

“As far as Mokuba being in your supervision...”

“Copy-paste all your rules when ya finally let him join us here, eh? I consent to alluva the above. Trust me, Kaib’, we will be outta the house and Moki will be in bed by eleven. Cross my heart.”

As Kaiba arms dropped to his side, and as he opened his mouth, Mokuba grabbed his hand and squeezed. “I promise, nii-sama. Really, really, please, please, please!”

A hand covered Kaiba’s face, hiding the frustration and the sigh. “You two will be the death of me,” he said, and reached out for Joey’s hand. The palms barely touched when Joey yanked Kaiba in for a side-hug, planting a quick kiss on his not-boyfriend’s cheek. Kaiba’s ears warmed, and he slipped out of the grip as soon as he was able, aware of the rest of Joey’s friends lurking just beyond the shop windows.

“Enough,” Kaiba whispered. Mokuba was giggling and cooing at them. “Get in the car, Mokuba.”

“Yes, nii-sama!” He answered, skipping over.

It should have been the end of it. It was well-earned venue change, which did nothing to alter the campaign sessions other than give them a few more precious minutes at the heat of battle. And for the most part, Kaiba remained absent until the decreed hour, finding the house vacated and his little brother curled in bed, though not fully asleep. He often called Joey mid-way through to check up on Mokuba, assured that he hadn’t only ate junk food and soda.

Several weeks in, however, as sometimes happened, their party had trouble coming together. Tristan had to work late at the factory. Tea had a sudden rehearsal, usually not scheduled on Thursdays. Kaiba had, knowing that he wasn’t needed at home and how much Mokuba hated going, accepted an invitation to a black-tie gala. It left Yugi, Joey, and Mokuba sitting in the dining room, their set-up half complete, asking each other if they should have moved on without the rest of the team.

After agreeing that it would have been too much explaining, Yugi had begun to pack up and leave. “No!” Mokuba protested. “We can...play other games! C’mon. I got a bunch I’ve been wanting to play with you guys anyways.”

The remainder of the night was spent with the three of them in the game room, sharing a pizza while playing retro beat ‘em ups, shooters, and getting into mock arguments over their friendship after several rounds of MarioKart.

There were no phone calls from Kaiba that evening, not that Mokuba would have noticed. Each round continued after the last, lacking hesitation from the youngest member of the group.

When Yugi left a little early, citing the need to open the shop the following morning, Mokuba said his good-byes and stayed sat beside Joey, who had just returned from rummaging through the cabinets (“no rule ‘bout stealin’ food” he snickered) and made them popcorn. In hindsight, Mokuba should have taken Yugi leaving as a sign it was nearing time for them all to part ways, but he was having too much fun. Joey had dug up an old Sega Genesis and was thumbing through the cartridges, offering options for him and Mokuba to play together. So they played on.

The night didn’t seem to darken, even as Mokuba’s eyes drew heavy. Kaiba wasn’t home and, at this rate, he thought he would have trekked up to bed before his brother was any the wiser. And they played on.

It only became apparent when Mokuba leaned heavy into his side, the controller slipping out of his hands, that Joey noticed how much longer they had gone without it feeling like any time had passed. His phone’s clock read that it was 1:06 AM. The blond’s breath hitched, and he turned off the console, pulling Mokuba to his feet and urging the boy to the main staircase. “Take me t’ your bedroom, huh?” He whispered.

The halls were quiet, calm, with the echo of their footsteps heard as he kept pushing Mokuba’s automated feet towards the bedroom. Every few steps he looked over his shoulder, waiting for the sound of the door, the clatter of Kaiba’s dress shoes. All the way up until he had gotten Mokuba to the bedroom, the boy mumbled ‘don’t worry’ and other calming words incoherent under his breath. The boy climbed into bed, forgoing changing. Joey yanked the blanket out of its knot and covered him up to the head while Mokuba cuddled the pillow.

“A’right, got him to bed,” Joey whispered to himself. He stepped out the door, taking his time and closing it as softly as he could. “All I gotta do is get downstairs, get out the door, an’ Kaiba won’t know a thing. Kid’s been in bed since eleven Yep, this’ll work. Everythin’ be fine so long as I don’t...”

...run chest-first into Kaiba right outside the bedroom door.

His hands settled on Kaiba’s breast, and a wavered smile slapped on his face in response to his brain screaming ‘run’ at full volume. “Oh hey. I was jus’ checkin’ on Moki before outta here. I’ll jus’ go an’...”

Kaiba gripped his arm, fingers digging through Joey’s jacket. “You will stay right where you are,” he ordered, and shoved Joey out of the way of the door. The blond stumbled, a roar growing in his throat, as Kaiba went into the bedroom and sat on the edge of Mokuba’s bed.

The anger bled out of Joey, though the fear that backed it was still present. Kaiba heard him, every word, he was sure. Pinching the bridge of his nose, Joey berated himself internally for saying anything aloud as he prepared to leave.

As Joey waited for his demise, he watched the covers on Mokuba’s pulled back, Kaiba leaning over to give Mokuba the best hug he could muster, given the boy’s curled up position. Joey’s arms crossed and his head dropped, convinced he wasn’t supposed to watch.

Kaiba exited the room, closing the door with the quiet precision that Joey had attempted before. “Downstairs,” he ordered.

“Kaib’, look, it’s jus’ this once—“

“I said: downstairs. Don’t continue to disobey me.”

As much as he hated those words, as much as he felt as much like the dog that Kaiba always called him, Joey obeyed. He left from the side of Mokuba’s door and followed in line behind his not-boyfriend, hands jammed deep in his pockets. They didn’t stop once they reached the foyer, and Joey tried to force up the words that were bottlenecked in his throat.

The front door was opened, Kaiba’s arm cast to the lawn.

“Kaib’, it was jus’ this once,” Joey said. “We got carried away, I get it. But don’t get mad at him.” He saw Kaiba’s nostrils flare, the only indication that he was still listening. “Ya better not be mad at him, or I’m gonna be fuckin’ pissed at you. This was my fault. I didn’t mean for it, but we got caught up in havin’ fun, a’right? Time flies. I should have been better.”

“You should have, but you weren’t. Why am I not surprised?”

Joey flinched. “Well, sorry, you weren’t here ta breathe down his neck. He’s almost fourteen, this is going t’ happen!”

“This isn’t about his curfew.”

“Then what the hell’s it about?” Joey shouted.

“You. Your behavior. Your influence. Your lying. When I leave Mokuba with you, you are an extension of myself, and you damn well know it.”

All the fire behind Joey’s eyes dampened, searching Kaiba’s face for more reason and logic. Searching Kaiba’s eyes for something that he was missing. Finding only a wrinkled brow that didn’t look quite like fury, just a subdued disappointment. “I...I don’t understand.”

“You took charge of him when I left him with Yugi, did you not?” Kaiba asked.

Joey searched that far back. “Yeah, ‘course I did. Someone’s gotta look out for ‘em.”

“You stand behind him when he makes a decision. You stand in front of him when someone threatens him. You become his ear when he needs someone to listen. You become his mouth when he’s too afraid to speak for himself,” Kaiba’s voice didn’t remain at its level coolness. “And he lets you.”

All the statements made Joey dizzy, trying to find the meaning to what Kaiba was telling him, thinking about how he didn’t feel so important in the grand scheme of things. He was Mokuba’s friend.

“Well, yeah,” Joey said. “I guess...I’d do anythin’ for him, ya know? He trusts me.”

“Trust,” Kaiba repeated. “He trusts you. I don’t think you know how precious that is.”

Joey’s jaw shifted side to side. His eyes flicked between the floor and Kaiba’s face, caked in disappointment but falling into exhaustion and maybe something, deep back in the blue eyes, that looked like betrayal. Heartbreak. Realization dawned over the blond.

Mokuba’s trust.

Kaiba’s trust. The trust Joey had asked for and was granted in quiet, shaking hands with Kaiba in the Turtle Game Shop parking lot. Sealing it with a kiss.

Kaiba tested. Joey failed.

“I tucked him in,” Joey said.

“Yes. You did.”

“Ya still do that, don’t ya?”

Kaiba looked up the stairs. “I never go to bed without making sure he’s safe.”

“I wouldn’t either,” Joey turned in the same direction, nodding. He stepped closer to Kaiba, hands on the man’s shoulders, feeling the tenseness as he squeezed. “I’m sorry.”

“ _Don’t,_ ” Kaiba bristled, and he shook Joey’s hands away. “Just go.”

Joey nodded, and began out the door that had been left open for him. “Will we still be havin’ dinner this week?”

“I don’t know.”

And the door closed heavy behind Joey. Yeah...that was fair, he thought. But it didn’t want to make him choke up any less.

**Author's Note:**

> Title inspired by the t.s. Elliot poem “Hollow Men”. 
> 
> I can’t say whether or not they’re broke up or not, because I don’t exactly see them like that, but Kaiba’s trust is likely sheer thin to begin with, only because he knows that Mokuba trusts Joey. Which is transferred over....but for him to give it and have it broken? He could be just as hurt, which was something I wanted to explore a bit.


End file.
